Milkweed fiber

About Milkweed fiber:

• It is the seed fiber obtained from milkweed plant.
  • Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L) plant belongs to the genus Asclepias of the family Asclepiadaceae and is also known as stubborn weed.
  • In India, it is found as a wild plant in the states of Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
  • Milkweed contains an abundance of milk sap in its leaves, stems and pods.
• Properties of Milkweed fibre: It contains oily material and lignin, a woody plant substance, which makes them too brittle for spinning. It has a hydrophobic–oleophobic surface due to the natural waxes found on the surface of the fiber.
• Applications:
  • It is used in paper industries.
  • In addition, it is also used as an insulative filling material.
  • It is used in such water-safety equipment as life jackets and belts.
  • Researchers discovered that it readily absorbs oil while simultaneously repelling water, thus making it an effective fiber to help clean up oil spills.

Q1: What is lignin?

It is a complex oxygen-containing organic polymer that, with cellulose, forms the chief constituent of wood. It is second to cellulose as the most abundant organic material on Earth, though relatively few industrial uses other than as a fuel have been found.

News: Milkweed fiber is the buzz word coming to sustainability and Textile Ministry marching along with the symphony of sustainability & traceability: Giriraj Singh